Listing Your Phuket Property: How It Works With Me

If you own a villa or condominium in Phuket, you have probably been approached by agents before, and the pitch is usually the same: send photos, we have buyers waiting. This page is the opposite of that pitch. It sets out plainly how listing with me works, what it costs, what I need from you, and what you should expect from anyone you trust with your property.

What does it cost to list with you?

Nothing up front, ever. I work on success only: a commission when your property actually rents or sells, not before. The exact figure depends on the property and the mandate, and it goes into a simple written agreement before we start, so there is never a conversation about money after the fact. If an agent will not put their terms in writing before the work begins, that is the warning.

Should I list exclusively or with every agent on the island?

The honest answer is that it depends what you are optimising for. Open listings are common in Phuket, and for straightforward rentals they can work fine. For sales, spreading a property across a dozen agencies has a cost most owners do not see: your villa appears everywhere at slightly different prices with slightly different photos, and buyers read that as desperation. A property represented properly by one advisor, with one price, one set of professional photographs and one negotiating position, holds its value in a negotiation. I will tell you which approach fits your property rather than defaulting to whichever earns me the listing.

What do you need from me to start?

Four things. A copy of the title deed and clarity on how the property is held, whether personally, leasehold or through a company, because the structure shapes what I can tell buyers about the transaction. Accurate floor and plot areas. Access for photography and viewings. And your honest bottom line, which stays between us. What I do not need is a wish price to advertise and quietly discount; properties priced honestly from day one sell faster and usually for more than properties that chase the market downward.

How do viewings work?

Qualified and accompanied, always. I speak with every enquirer before they see your property, I attend every viewing personally, and for sales I register buyer names with any relevant developer or building office as standard practice. You will never have strangers wandering your villa on the strength of a portal click, and you will get a straight report after each viewing, including the feedback you might not enjoy hearing, because that feedback is usually the market telling us something.

What makes a property rent or sell quickly here?

Three things, in order: presentation, price and management. Presentation is the one owners control most directly, and it is where I will be most direct with you; the difference between a villa that photographs beautifully and one that looks tired is often a week of attention and modest money, repaid many times over. Price is a conversation grounded in what is actually transacting, not what a neighbour is asking. And well-managed properties, with maintenance records and responsive owners, clear both markets faster because they remove the buyer’s and tenant’s biggest fear: that the problems start after the handover.

Do I need to be in Thailand?

No. Much of my owner base lives abroad. Rentals can be handled end to end remotely, and sales can complete with a power of attorney arranged through your lawyer, which is routine here. What remote ownership does require is responsiveness: a tenant or buyer with momentum will not wait a week for an answer, and the owners who do best remotely are the ones who treat a WhatsApp message as a meeting.

What taxes and costs will I pay when selling?

The seller side typically carries either Specific Business Tax or stamp duty, plus a withholding tax calculated on how the property is held and for how long, with the transfer fee commonly split with the buyer by negotiation. The right numbers depend on your structure and your history with the property, so the responsible answer is that I will walk you through the framework and your accountant or lawyer confirms your position before you commit to a price. I cover the full transaction cost picture in my buying costs guide, which reads just as usefully from the seller’s side.

I value privacy. How do you market discreetly?

A meaningful part of my work never appears on a portal. If you prefer your property offered quietly, it goes to a private register of qualified buyers and tenants rather than into the public feed, with photography and details shared on enquiry rather than broadcast. Discretion costs nothing in reach at the top of the market; the buyers who matter are not scrolling portals anyway.

Thinking about it?

Start with a conversation, not a contract. Tell me what you own and what you are weighing, and I will give you a straight read on what it would command, rented or sold, and what I would do to it first. If the honest answer is that now is the wrong time, I will tell you that too.

Message me on WhatsApp or send an enquiry through the contact page.

Rex Butler Founder & Principal Advisor, Butler Estates rex@butlerestates.com

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees, taxes and structures depend on your circumstances. Take independent advice before committing to any sale or lease.